Arches

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We were meant to get up at 7am to head to Arches National Park (Jon's favourite park in the States), but our alarm didnt go off, so by the time we got there at 9.30am, it was already packed.

Jon wanted us to do the 'Delicate Arch' trail, which took an hour to reach by car. The scenery on the way to the trail was stunning, but scary. I couldnt stop thinking about how screwed you would be if you got lost in the terrain. It was rocky scrubland, surrounded by red sandstone pinnacles. There are lots of contrasting colours and textures and I can see why Jon loves it so much.

The hike to Delicate Arch, took about an hour, up steep boulders and along a narrow ledge, with a large drop on one side. I was sweating at this point and almost crying, as I hate narrow mountain paths (and heights in general), but the view from the top was gorgeous and the picture I got through the Arch was worth it.

We got back down at about midday (just as the rain started) and went on another hike to see the North and South windows (which were similar to the Delicate Arch) but offered different views of the rugged landscape. We then had to scramble a little to reach Jon's 'cubby hole' that he discovered at the 'Turret'. This brought on the heights fear again, so I took a quick picture of him in his cubbyhole and we moved on.

The weather got worse, so we left Arches and decided to make a quick dstop in Dead Horse State Park, which had been recommended in our guide book. Jon is generally unimpressed by State Parks, but I thoroughly recommend making a stop at this one. There were a few suggested things to see, but we only had time to see one, so chose the 'Dead Horse Point Overlook'.

I hadnt expected much but it was spectacular. From the lookout. you can see for miles across Utah. There were stunning views of canyon country and the pinnacles and buttes of Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River snaked around the scenery. It was the most amazing thing I have seen in the States.

We spent a good 45 minutes trying to capture the beauty of this place on camera, but didnt do it justice.

Once the rain started again, we drove on to Evanston (our stop for the night) and reached the Howard Johnston Motel at 9pm. The town is not geared up for tourists - the motel staff said that the onlty visitors they usually get are truckers, stopping for a meal, to break up their long shifts. We had chosen the town as it was an even distance between Moab and Yellowstone.

As it was Sunday, everything was closed, so we ended up buying cuppa soup at Walmart and

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